October 2, 2008 - For the second year in a row, Jihad Lahham has won the Rockport Student Design Challenge. His concept was selected out of 25 final entries from other participating art colleges including Pratt, Parsons and RISD. Jihad is a senior in the Graphic and Interactive Communication program at Ringling, winning this contest both his junior and senior years.

This year’s Rockport Design Challenge was to design a point-of-sale display for Rockport in the medium of one’s choice, as well as develop a concept (a mock-up, sketch, model, etc.) of what a Rockport Walk Dry tabletop or floor display should look like.

Jihad’s design and concept consisted of using different elements to represent what activities can be done in the Rockport Walk Dry shoes. He used a lighting element to represent time – orange for day, blue for evening. The display not only uses the different light, but features an aquarium underneath the shoe platform to represent shoes that are rugged, versatile, and waterproof. From underneath the aquarium, the orange and blue lights will change to represent time as air bubbles gently escape from the bottom and rise to the top toward the shoe platform.

Not only did Jihad have to come up with the overall design, but he had to also figure out the mechanics of his display, prompting him to consult with local engineers on how to configure the mechanical elements of his design, and further impressing the Rockport judges.

Jihad was awarded the $5,000 grand prize, an all-expenses paid trip to New York for the 2008 Masters of Design Gala, inclusion of his display at the 2008 Masters of Design Gala (where his design was seen by more than 200 of the nation’s most influential designers), a visual representation of his work on Rockport.com, and the possibility of Rockport producing his design for retail outlets. Jihad was honored at the exclusive Masters of Design Gala Reception at the newly redesigned Museum of Arts and Design building in Manhattan on October 1st, 2008.

- Must be of a tabletop or floor display for retail outlets- Include the Rockport logo - Needs to house either a single pair of shoes or multiple pairs - Cannot exceed the following dimensions: - Tabletop displays cannot exceed 30"h (approximate footprint of 12"x12") - Floor displays cannot exceed 55"h (approximate footprint of 18"x18")- Production budget cannot exceed $2,500, including materials, building costs, and any equipment rentals

About Fast Company and Masters of DesignFast Company magazine is the only progressive business magazine that highlights the connection between good business and good design. The October 2008 issue features the fifth annual Masters of Design report honoring top designers who are impacting the world of business.

To celebrate this signature issue, Fast Company hosts an exclusive gala that brings the editorial to life by featuring a roving gallery of innovative displays spanning seven floors of the new Museum of Arts and Design in NYC. This highly anticipated event is attended by the top echelon of the design community—making it the perfect place for upcoming designers to make their mark within the industry.

The Rockport MissionRockport empowers you to do more, be more, live more, with stylish shoes engineered to feel good from the morning commute to the evening out and everything in between. You live a full, active life that keeps you moving—you need shoes that keep up. With comfort innovations that support your feet and designs that capture the style of today, not the style of the moment, Rockport takes you farther